With Great Power
by KToTheWow
Summary: Shortly after the death of his uncle Ben, Peter Parker struggles to understand what his powers mean to him now that he has nothing left. Maybe, just maybe, he needs the help of someone who's in a similar situation.


One

It rained hard that night.

I stood there on a rooftop at the corner of some street in Manhattan and God-knows-where, letting the harsh pellets of rain pour onto me and seep into costume. After all the rush that I went through, I finally stood still long enough to feel the tears rising. In the heavy rain, I mourned over the death of my uncle Ben.

Just minutes ago, I had found the man that killed him in cold blood. I thought that if I could take him down, get revenge for what he did to me and my family, that I would feel better. That the world would be in balance again.

Right then and there, on that rooftop, I felt like the whole world had flipped.

I recognized uncle Ben's killer. It was someone I could have stopped just and hour before he walked into my house.

 _Dear God… I'm an idiot._

I sat down, took off my mask, and buried my face into my hands. I was glad it stormed. The sound of my pain and sorrow didn't have to go far to be drowned in thunder.

But it didn't last long.

The sound of police sirens pierced the night as well as the sound of screeching tires. I pulled my wet mask back on over my head, the lenses starting to steam up but then quickly became clear. Whatever the police were called for, it had to be big if they needed four cars. And nothing would have felt better than to beat the crap out of something big.

I ran alongside the rooftop's edge, parallel to the direction the cops were driving, then jumped off toward the road and let out a webline. Instantly, I cursed myself for being an idiot.

My webline didn't go far in the heavy rain. Just a few yards and then the line plummeted.

With my left wrist, I shot a line at the side I had just jumped from. The building was just a yard away, so my web caught hold of it and kept me from being a red-and-blue spider pancake eleven stories below.

 _Guess I'm gonna have to go on foot._

It took some acrobatic moves and more webbing, but I managed to make a safe landing onto the concrete in five seconds flat. Then, thanks to my super strength also doubling as super speed, I was able to follow the cops through the maze of back alleys and side streets.

Soon, the gunshots echoed through the streets. With all the rain going on, it was hard to see the gang war until you were right in the middle of it. Unfortunately, that was exactly where I was standing.

There was a tingling in my head. Instinctively, I jumped back just a shot rang out, the bullet whizzing by just in front of me. The night rain was so thick I couldn't see where the shooter was or what he was aiming for (if it wasn't already me).

 _In this weather, these guys are basically firing blind!_

I decided to go into the direction where the shot came from. A cop had pulled out a megaphone and was saying usual cop stuff, but I shut her out. All that mattered was putting these guys down before someone got hurt. Or worse…

I jumped over a poorly-parked truck and landed on the other side with a splash, finding three gang members using the vehicle as cover while they reloaded their weapons. Unfortunately, they had just finished and were cocking their pistols. Even more unfortunate, my splash didn't go unheard.

"What the hell is that?!" One of them shouted. Instead of safely pointing his finger at me, he pointed with the barrel of his gun instead. One-handed, I might add.

"You know," I shouted, hoping my quip wasn't in vain, "Maybe you should actually learn how to use one of those things before your life depended on it!" I shot a web, covering the muzzle. "I mean, I'm no gun expert, but I'm pretty sure those webs will prevent the bullets from coming out!"

Whether out of bravery or stupidity (I'm willing to bet the latter), the guy still pulled the trigger. Just as I'd hoped, my webbing kept the bullet from leaving the barrel, leaving it to practically explode in its shooter's hand.

"Now," I said, standing straighter so I could stare down the other two, "Who's next?"

The other two guys pointed their guns at me simultaneously. Cute.

I shot a strand of webbing at each of their guns, creating a sticky mesh that covered their entire hands. Then, I leapt into the air with the two bozos in tow and tied the strands onto a streetlight. And, just for kicks, I also webbed their butts together.

Now it was time for whoever was across the street.

I leapt into that direction and found that part of the street… empty. No car used as a possible shield, no guns lying around, nothing. I scratched my head, certain that I didn't hear anything drive away, when my eyes landed on something odd.

It was a phone booth… sort of. It was blue, wooden, and had a light on top that had just come on. Just above the doorframe on what seemed to be on all four sides were the words "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX". There were even tinted windows around the top of the sides, the kind of glass you can't really see through unless there was a shadow.

I walked up to the police box and saw a sign that said to pull to open. I pulled, but the doors didn't budge. Then, to satisfy my curiosity, I pushed the doors instead.

What was inside took my breath away.


End file.
